1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a small form factor plug connector for high speed data transmission which has a plastic spring latch and separate conductive grounding tabs.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 9, a prior art concept for a small form factor plug connector 700 and complementary receptacle connector 800 are shown. The plug connector 700 has a main body 710, an insert 720, a plurality of contacts 730, and a conductive metal latch 740. A front portion 742 of the latch 740 is attached between the main body 710 and the insert 720. A rear portion 744 of the latch 740 connects to a rear end of the insert 720. A central portion 746 of the latch 740 extends in an arc between the front portion 742 and the rear portion 744. A lock 748 sits atop the central portion 746.
The mating receptacle connector 800 has a conductive shell 810, roughly rectangular in shape and having an opening 820 for insertion of a front end of the mating plug connector 700. A window 830 is defined in an upper wall 815 of the shell 810 for engaging with the lock 748 of the latch 740 on the plug connector 700. The latch 740 serves a second purpose of establishing electrical grounding contact with the shell 810 of the receptacle. The latch 740 is quite long, and if the plug 700 is inserted into the receptacle 800 at a high angle, the latch 740 can be easily bent so that it no longer locks with the window 830, and further, so that it no longer provides a reliable grounding contact between the plug connector 700 and the receptacle connector 800.
Referring to FIG. 10, patent application Ser. No. 09/826,995, having the same assignee as the present application, discloses an electrical connector 901 having a housing 910 which includes an upper half 912 and a lower half 911. A plastic latch 920 is rotatably mounted between the lower half 911 and a pair of retaining tabs 915, which are integrally a part of the upper half 912. A coil spring 926 arranged between the latch 920 and the upper half 912 biases the latch 920 in an upward position. A grounding tab 930 is fixed to the upper half 912, and has a pair of spring arms 932 for electrically contacting a wall of a mating receptacle connector (not shown). Two retaining posts 940 of the upper half 912 can insert through holes 941 in the spring arms 932 and can be deformed into enlarged heads, thereby retaining the grounding tab 930 to the housing 910. The retaining tabs 915 are vulnerable to being bent, and the inclusion of the coil spring 926 and the requirement for deforming the retaining posts 940 unnecessarily complicates manufacture of the connector 901, increasing manufacturing costs.
An improved plug connector with a more robust latch design is desired to overcome the limitations of the prior art.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a small form factor plug connector which has a robust latching mechanism for locking the plug connector into a mating receptacle connector;
A second object of the present invention is to provide a small form factor plug connector which has a ground tab which reliably establishes an electrical connection with the mating receptacle connector.
A third objective of the present invention is to provide a small form factor plug connector which is easily and cheaply manufactured.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a plug connector in accordance with the present invention includes a housing, an insert, a plurality of contacts, a plastic spring latch, and a metallic grounding clip.
The housing has two sidewalls with a bed, a front shelf, and a top beam connecting the two sidewalls together. The contacts are mounted in the housing and are accessible at the front shelf for connecting with terminals of a mating receptacle connector.
The insert is slab-shaped and forms a thin tongue at a center of its forward end. The tongue is flanked by a pair of thicker support beams, which are flanked by side beams.
The grounding clip is made of a metallic material and is ring-shaped. The grounding clip is bended downward into a hook at its forward end to allow it to clamp to the support beams at the forward end of the insert. The grounding clip bends upward at its rearward half to electrically contact a grounding surface of the receptacle.
The spring latch is elongate and forms a hook at its front end to clamp to the tongue of the insert. A lock is formed on an upper surface of the spring latch for engaging with an aperture cut in the receptacle connector to lock the plug connector to the receptacle connector. The spring latch is made of plastic and is of such a design that it will not permanently deform in normal use.
The insert attaches to a top of the housing, completing assembly of the plug connector. The advantage of the present invention over the prior art is that the spring latch is more durable and provides for easier assembly than that of the prior art, and the grounding clip is more protected from permanent distortion and is simpler in design.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.